Nutrition education intervention improves vegetable-related attitude, self-efficacy, preference, and knowledge of fourth-grade students. 2012

Denise E Wall, and Christine Least, and Judy Gromis, and Barbara Lohse
Pennsylvania State University, 135 E. Nittany Ave., Suite 405, State College, PA 16801, USA. dew177@psu.edu

BACKGROUND Impact of a classroom-based, standardized intervention to address limited vegetable consumption of fourth graders was assessed. METHODS A 4-lesson, vegetable-focused intervention, revised from extant materials was repurposed for Pennsylvania fourth graders with lessons aligned with state academic standards. A reliability-tested survey was modified, then examined for face and content validity and test-retest reliability. Lessons and evaluation materials were modified through an iterative testing process with educator feedback. A nonequivalent control group design was stratified by local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) partnering organizations with random assignment of participating elementary schools as control (N = 68) or intervention (N = 72) treatments. Independent t-tests compared control and intervention group changes. A mixed effects model was created to account for classroom effects from the nested sampling method of selecting classrooms within SNAP-Ed partnering organizations. General linear model univariate analyses of variance were conducted to assess intervention effects considering gender, and food preparation/cooking experience. RESULTS During a 3- to 5-week time frame, 57 intervention classrooms (N = 1047 students) and 51 control classrooms (N = 890) completed pre- and post-testing. Intervention students improved in vegetable-related attitude, self-efficacy, preference, and knowledge scores (p < .001). For example, intervention vegetable preference increased 1.56 ± 5.80 points; control group mean increase was only 0.08 ± 4.82 points. Group differences in score changes were not affected by gender or interactions between gender and food preparation/cooking experience with family. CONCLUSIONS A defined intervention delivered in a SNAP-Ed setting can positively impact mediators associated with vegetable intake for fourth-grade students.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010414 Pennsylvania State bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie, on the east by Delaware and New Jersey, on the south by Delaware and Maryland, and on the west by Ohio and West Virginia.
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002664 Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena Nutritional physiology of children aged 2-12 years. Child Nutrition Physiology,Child Nutritional Physiology Phenomena,Nutrition Physiology, Child,Child Nutritional Physiology,Child Nutritional Physiology Phenomenon,Nutritional Physiology, Child,Physiology, Child Nutrition,Physiology, Child Nutritional
D005260 Female Females
D005518 Food Preferences The selection of one food over another. Food Selection,Food Preference,Food Selections,Preference, Food,Preferences, Food,Selection, Food,Selections, Food
D006266 Health Education Education that increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of health on a personal or community basis. Community Health Education,Education, Health,Education, Community Health,Health Education, Community
D006293 Health Promotion Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care. Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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